# Five Brothers



## freestoke (Feb 13, 2011)

The two pouches I've opened were both quite dry so I think that might be the norm. I hydrated what I'm smoking now with a wet tea bag in a 4 oz. mason jar, but it's still fairly dry. Packing some fairly tightly into a Legend and to start this review, it lit with a total cherry immediately. It's a very quick and "smoky" smoke. The fine cut is almost like smoking a crumpled up cigarette -- will I even finish this review before it's gone!?

Nothing much in the way of taste, other than straight burley. It seems to contain no humectant or topping whatsoever, only straight tobacco. Strong relative to standard OTCs, but it's not quite in Happy Bogie Land. There is a warning label on the pouch: "One of the more unusual tobaccos available, extremely full-bodied, ultra-high nicotine content. A must for those who like living on the dangerous side." That would make IF a walk on the *wild *side, I suppose. I don't mean to imply that there is no nicotine here, because it has a whole lot more than the Carter Hall, Half & Half and Granger pouches next to it on the sales rack.

It seems to be the perfect thing for adding some substance to an aromatic, probably improving the burn. As a straight smoke, in a cob or small pipe it's perfect for a ten minute smoke break, providing a decent Vitamin N restorative. A full MM Legend lasted just over that for me, leaving nothing but dry ash. As long as you tamp fairly often, it won't go out either. Possibly I could rewet the tea bag and see if that slows it down a tad, but at this moisture level it's almost like smoking a cigarette, only with a bigger nicotine hit. You can even inhale it, at least in the beginning, something which is totally impossible for me with RY or Dark Birdseye, so it's fairly mild in that regard. (I don't recommend it, just saying that it's like inhaling an unfiltered Lucky Strike.) I could see where it would definitely serve a purpose if I were still at work. Even now, I see myself smoking it straight when I don't have much time; in a larger pipe, I foresee a substantial nicotine hit, but pretty boring for a more leisurely smoke.

All in all, okay. I like it. I'm glad I got a lot of it this time.


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## gahdzila (Apr 29, 2010)

Thanks for the review!


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## Trout Langston (Dec 1, 2011)

I just wanted to pass on a little news as it relates to Five Brothers. Lane Limited (and our parent company, Scandinvian Tobacco Group) are taking over production and distribution of Five Brothers as of January 1, 2012. (We will doing the same for many other former Swedish Match brands - Borkum Riff, Half and Half, Velvet, Paladin and Granger. There's an article on the front page of pipes magazine if your interested in more details.)

Five Brothers has received a packaging improvement, pictured above. Instead of the former papery foil, Five Brothers will now come in a package similar to Captain Black. Also, Five Brothers will now be produced in Denmark, where our facilities are able to replicate its unusual fine cut and bird's eye. The product (and perhaps just as importantly, the price) has NOT changed.

I test-smoked a bit out of the new packaging. It was a bit moister than the prior version I have in my office, but that may be due to the fact that it was manufactured less than two weeks ago. I don't smoke a lot of straight burley tobaccos, so it's a little tough for me to give a meaningful review. It did have less bite than I might have anticipated, and if you prefer a straight burley taste, I don't think it gets much straigther than this.


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## freestoke (Feb 13, 2011)

A bunch of years ago, I happened on a little blurb that they were closing the original Twinkies factory in St. Louis (?). I immediately went and bought a Twinkie out of the vending machine at work, even though I've never been a Twinkie eater, not even when I was a kid. I wanted some history! :lol: It sits on my bookcase to this day, in a flimsy plastic container, in its original wrapper, fresh as the day I bought it. When archaeologists 5000 years hence dig it out of the dust, that Twinkie will still be edible. You can bet at least one of these old pouches will join it on the shelf.

Thanks for the heads up, Leonard! :tu


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## gahdzila (Apr 29, 2010)

Thanks for the heads up, Leonard!

I've only recently been turned on to Five Brothers, I've only smoked about a half ounce so far, but I love the stuff. I really really really hope the product doesn't appreciably change. The new packaging is a moot point for me, as I always dump packets like this in a mason jar as soon as I open them....but one good thing about it at least is that it will help distinguish old stock from new.

Maybe now that Lane will be producing it, it will be easier to find!!!

Again, thanks for the info. And good luck with your company's recent acquisitions.


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## DanR (Nov 27, 2010)

No offense to you Leonard, but the appeal for me was "made in Owensboro, Kentucky!"

I'm a bit patriotic in that sense.


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## Trout Langston (Dec 1, 2011)

Dan:
Completely understand where you're coming from. And while 'Tucker, GA' may not sound as sexy as 'Owensboro, KY,' Half & Half, Paladin, Granger, and Velvet will all still be made domestically. For Five Brothers, the number one priority was maintaining the integrity of the product itself, which required shifting production to Denmark. It would certainly be a lot cheaper to produce it here vs. producing it in Denmark, shipping it across an ocean or two, and paying import taxes, but, again, enuring that the product itself remained the same took precedence.


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## freestoke (Feb 13, 2011)

Trout Langston said:


> Dan:
> It would certainly be a lot cheaper to produce it here vs. producing it in Denmark, shipping it across an ocean or two, and paying import taxes, but, again, enuring that the product itself remained the same took precedence.


So did the original production facilities burn down or something? It sounds as if the equipment for a finer cut was unavailable in the US, but why couldn't that equipment be installed somewhere? :spy: I'm obviously missing something.


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## Trout Langston (Dec 1, 2011)

freestoke said:


> So did the original production facilities burn down or something? It sounds as if the equipment for a finer cut was unavailable in the US, but why couldn't that equipment be installed somewhere? :spy: I'm obviously missing something.


Let's see if I can clarify...
- Five Brothers, Half & Half, Paladin, Granger and Velvet originally produced by The Pinkerton Tobacco Company in Owensboro, KY.
- In 1985, Pinkerton was purchased by Swedish Match. Production remained in Owensboro.
- In 2010, Swedish Match merged with Scandinavian Tobacco Group.
- In March of 2011, Scandinavian Tobacco Group purchased Lane Limited.
- The decision was made to transfer production/distribution of all the former Pinkerton brands to Lane Limited in Tucker, GA (don't ask about the exact reasons for the transfer, it's above my pay grade)

Now, there is something about the Five Brothers cut (I believe it's the bird's eye, but don't hold me to that), that we are unable to replicate on our current equipment at the factory in Tucker. (Yes, we can (and may) get new equipment, but it's not cheap and it couldn't be done in time to start prodction this month). The equipment at the factory in Denmark CAN replicate the cut, hence the shift.


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## freestoke (Feb 13, 2011)

Trout Langston said:


> Now, there is something about the Five Brothers cut (I believe it's the bird's eye, but don't hold me to that), that we are unable to replicate on our current equipment at the factory in Tucker. (Yes, we can (and may) get new equipment, but it's not cheap and it couldn't be done in time to start prodction this month). The equipment at the factory in Denmark CAN replicate the cut, hence the shift.


Thanks for the clarification, Leonard. One other item that gives me pause however -- the import taxes now involved. Sounds like Five Brothers is facing a hefty price hike. Is it?


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## Trout Langston (Dec 1, 2011)

freestoke said:


> Thanks for the clarification, Leonard. One other item that gives me pause however -- the import taxes now involved. Sounds like Five Brothers is facing a hefty price hike. Is it?


Absolutely not. Our list price will remain the same.


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## mmiller (Nov 17, 2011)

Great review and that cut looks interesting, I will have to get my hands on some one of these days.


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## HugSeal (Dec 5, 2011)

Nice information Leonard. I was wondering if you have tried "Greve Hamiltons blandning", a swedish fine cut burley tobacco. It seems very similar to this, is it?

Because then I better pick up some five brothers.


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## freestoke (Feb 13, 2011)

HugSeal said:


> Nice information Leonard. I was wondering if you have tried "Greve Hamiltons blandning", a swedish fine cut burley tobacco. It seems very similar to this, is it?
> 
> Because then I better pick up some five brothers.


It might look similar, but looking at http://www.tobaccoreviews.com/blend_detail.cfm?ALPHA=G&TID=3334 the composition is entirely different. I wouldn't think they'd be at all alike. Indeed, it says the Blandning is a broken flake and FiveB is definitely not that.


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## HugSeal (Dec 5, 2011)

Didn't even think to check it out there. silly me. Thanks!


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## Black (Feb 3, 2011)

Five Bros. is a great burley. I like to smoke it in the morning with a nice strong cup of espresso, talk about a wake up.


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